Aberbargoed(ish)

[JZ]

6 hours ago, Cwmtwrch said:

The Milk poster was around from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, and had a black background. Your software seems to have given the image a red cast, also shown in the 'white' letters, which really were white. With the Fernvale poster there seems to be a change in the background colour just above "Prince"; the area immediately below the name looks the same as that above. Trying to determine colours from B & W photos is very difficult to impossible, of course, but it doesn't look quite the same to as the black of the milk poster, to me anyway. I have never found a colour image of this poster, but, when I tried to reproduce it a few years ago, I did find https://brewerytrays.co.uk/cms/index.php/fernvale-brewery-co-ltd-round-alloy.html.html and https://brewerytrays.co.uk/cms/index.php/new-product-115.html, so possibly the lower part of the poster might be dark blue rather than black?

The milk poster was downloaded from the net. The Fernvale poster I made going from the colours of the colourised shot. Red and black appear to be the house colours, but I can find no picture of any Fernvale posters.

[Enterprisingwestern]

6 hours ago, Enfys_Rainbow said:

Interesting thread! I saw the original photo on FB too. My wife is from Bargoed.

 

Matt

 

Give her my condolences!

 

Mike.

[JZ]

On the OS 7th Series map from 1956, it still shows the station in the position of the original, pre 1935 one. Did they not survey it for many years, or is this one of the deliberate errors built in so they can check for copying?

 

Jus checked the National Library of Scotland site and large scale maps show it correctly.

Edited March 12 by JZ
Additional info.

[Cwmtwrch]

3 hours ago, JZ said:

On the OS 7th Series map from 1956, it still shows the station in the position of the original, pre 1935 one

I agree that the red dot on the map isn't quite in the right place, but the original station was the one shown in your first post, in front of the Smiths Arms. Initially it had staggered platforms on the double line, with the western platform north of the eastern, but was replaced in March 1909 by the one very slightly further north, which had a signal box [dating from 1905] and a goods yard [dating from 1901]; the signal box was replaced by a ground frame when the line was singled 9/4/1934. The sidings and ground frame were removed in May 1935, and the station closed 30/9/1935, with the eastern platform of the original one then being used again, lasting until closure.

Edited March 12 by Cwmtwrch

[JZ]

6 minutes ago, Cwmtwrch said:

I agree that the red dot on the map isn't quite in the right place, but the original station was the one shown in your first post, in front of the Smiths Arms. Initially it had staggered platforms on the double line, with the western platform north of the eastern, but was replaced in March 1909 by the one very slightly further north, which had a signal box [dating from 1905] and a goods yard [dating from 1901]; the signal box was replaced by a ground frame when the line was singled 9/4/1934. The sidings and ground frame were removed in May 1935, and the station closed 30/9/1935, with the eastern platform of the original one then being used again, lasting until closure.

While I wait for Vol 1 of the Brecon & Merthyr books, do you know what the building was in front of Smiths, that was pre the 1935 station building? It appear that the gable end remained after demolition, next to the posters in some of the pictures.

[Cwmtwrch]

On 12/03/2024 at 15:41, JZ said:

While I wait for Vol 1 of the Brecon & Merthyr books, do you know what the building was in front of Smiths, that was pre the 1935 station building? It appear that the gable end remained after demolition, next to the posters in some of the pictures.

Sorry, no. I know a bit about the local buses and railways, courtesy of various books, but very little about the area otherwise. Looking at the photographs, I think that the "1935" building is most likely the original B & M building brought back into use, which would seem to imply that the demolition you refer to was before 1900. The horizontal beams carried a second poster hoarding in earlier photos.

[JZ]

1 hour ago, Cwmtwrch said:

 I know a bit about the local buses and railways, courtesy of various books,

Don't suppose you know what colour the seats were on the buses? I have a Leyland which could be repainted into West Mon colours, but the seats are bright green, so need toning down. I image a similar colour to the bus livery, but you can never be sure.

[Cwmtwrch]

Depends if they were cloth or leather as well. No idea on colour, I'm afraid; interior shots of buses generally are very uncommon.

[philip-griffiths]

Some of those pictures taken from the Bargoed side show my maternal and paternal grandparents homes. I spent many a day on Bedwelty Road and playing around the second station. What you referred to as the original station was the second, but it was shut and they re opened the second. 
 

the bus had a Swiss gearbox on it, with a cog which stopped the bus running backwards when it was going up the hill. Ironically I never saw a bus service on this route in the 70s when growing up. The bus went down the valley to Pengam and crossed over there…..
 

 

[Cwmtwrch]

13 hours ago, philip-griffiths said:

the bus had a Swiss gearbox on it,

The chassis for the first two buses on the route were Swiss built, by Saurer. They were replaced in 1930 and 1931 by buses on specially modified Leyland Bull chassis, which had a handbrake on all four wheels and a rachet brake on the rear axle. The two Fodens and the last hill bus, a Leyland, had similar braking equipment.

[philip-griffiths]

On 08/03/2024 at 12:05, JZ said:

Put the original photo through a colourization app and straightened it.

 

My father says that the premises which is labelled Smiths used to be a Vauxhall dealership in his youth.

[JZ]

Made a start on the building that will represent the Smiths Arms.

Windows and doorways have been made a bit smaller so I can use Tichy Trains products. Although HO, they are large enough for OO. Not intending for it to be an exact copy, just trying to give a flavour of the original. The end wall, below has to have some openings added, which will be done when I get my Dremel back from my daughter's partner tomorrow.

Once these are cut out and the wall fixed in place, I will cover it in craft paper to give the texture of rendering, before adding the windows and doors. I shall also add an upper floor bay window between the windows on the righthand end.

For the station building, I am going to use the Peco LK-200 kit as a base.

[JZ]

Cement rendering on.

A little filler needed on the corner. The window opening look a bit tatty, but will be covered when the windows are in.

[JZ]

Next was the signage. A text search gives the font as Havelock Titling. A search finds no free downloads and one at a cost of £38.99. Bu99er that. So I used Monserrat, one of the ones in MS Paint, and stretched it.

 

Close enough for me.

Above SMITHS there was a brewery sign. In later photo's it can be just made out that it reads Pritchards, the rest of the wording cannot be deciphered. However, in earlier photo's, post war, it reads BUCHANS RHYMNEY BEERS on three lines. DF Pritchard was a Crumlin brewer and all I can find about them is "Acquired by Andrew Buchan's Breweries Ltd. June 1930. Brewery closed and dismantled by receiver." But their logo lived on, the Hobby Horse, and was used by Andrew Buchan's Rhymney Brewery. Interesting fact: Rhymney Brewery was started by the chairman of  the Rhymney Iron Co. When the ironworks was sold to the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co in 1920 the brewery became a separate company. Registered as Andrew Buchan’s Breweries Ltd in 1929, the name was changed to Rhymney Breweries Ltd  in 1959 and acquired by Whitbread in 1966. The brewery closed in 1978.

 

Now this suggests to me that pictures showing the Travellers Rest and Greyhound with Rhymney Beers sign, are post 1959 and Smiths was already closed.

So, what shall I do?  Probably the model will be around 1960. I don't have the room for the Greyhound. Should I have Smiths still open? In which case it should have the Hobby Horse sign. Or maybe the Buchans sign on the front, but a hobby horse on the end wall?

 

[Jeremy Cumberland]

You've got to have the horse and rider. Making a horse from a beer barrel, giving it jointed legs, placing a fat huntsman in pinks on top and then sticking what looks something like a cross between a knight's lance and an oversized balloon whisk in his hand is...inspired or deranged, perhaps, but certainly unique.

 

Is that his bare bum showing under the flying coat tails, and what is that protruding from his mouth?

 

Tetley's it ain't.

[JZ]

Printed on 50gm paper, it'll need weathering in a bit.

 

Meanwhile I am putting together the upper floor bay window, then the tedious job of glazing all the windows. Fortunately they are all laser cut.

[The Johnster]

4 hours ago, Jeremy Cumberland said:

.inspired or deranged, perhaps, but certainly unique.

 

The logo was a common sight in my childhood and I rather liked it.  Huntsmen wore white jodpurs, not bare bums, and the lance is his riding crop, for encouraging the 'oss and discouraging the saboteurs.  He has a cigar in his mouth.  Hunting was quite popular in the area, there being hunts at Senghenydd, Gelligaer, and Rudry.

[Jeremy Cumberland]

8 hours ago, The Johnster said:

 

The logo was a common sight in my childhood and I rather liked it.  Huntsmen wore white jodpurs, not bare bums, and the lance is his riding crop, for encouraging the 'oss and discouraging the saboteurs.  He has a cigar in his mouth.  Hunting was quite popular in the area, there being hunts at Senghenydd, Gelligaer, and Rudry.

The white jodhpurs are there, but they seem to be riding rather low and there's a rather disconcerting expanse of pink above, and I don't mean the red of the jacket.

 

He is holding a short crop, but it was the very long stragiht thing I was more interested in, sticking out far behind the rider. Since it appears to be connected to be bridle, I imagine it's a control for the hobby horse, but since I've never seen a hobby horse remotely like this ("a stick with a horse's head handle" is more what I am used to), I can't imagine how it is used.

 

Ah, a cigar. Of course.

[JZ]

2 hours ago, Jeremy Cumberland said:

The white jodhpurs are there, but they seem to be riding rather low and there's a rather disconcerting expanse of pink above, and I don't mean the red of the jacket.

 

Could it be a cummerbund?

 

The 'hobby horse' is used by the present Rhymney Brewery, but in reverse.

[JZ]

Knocked up the signage for the Travellers' Rest.

On the actual building, the letters were raised and are still in situ today, albeit painted over.

Unable to find suitable letters, I have decided to have it on a raised frieze(qv) along the front.

 

[Happy Hippo]

On 10/03/2024 at 21:07, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Give her my condolences!

 

Mike.

Fochriw!

[Worsdell forever]

2 hours ago, JZ said:

Knocked up the signage for the Travellers' Rest.

On the actual building, the letters were raised and are still in situ today, albeit painted over.

Unable to find suitable letters, I have decided to have it on a raised frieze(qv) along the front.

 

 

If you put a hill like that on a fictitious layout no one would believe you...

 

And I'd certainly rather live at the bottom of the hill if I'd been in the three pubs.

 

 

[The Johnster]

I slogan I remember form the 50s/early 60s, before Rhymney were absorbed by Whitbread, was 'Rhymney; the best 'round 'ere', clearly intended to be vocalised in a Valleys accent.  It was a lie, of course, nothing beat Brains'.

[JZ]

Waiting for slate tiles from Model Rail Scenery. If I am happy with them, I will get some red and yellow brick paper for the station building.

The R.A.O.B was drawn freehand and is crap, so I've now downloaded a sign and will have it as a plaque. Decided to put net curtains behind the RAOB windows. Also made some PUBLIC BAR & LOUNGE BAR signs to go over the doors. Bar windows are half opaque and I have lightly sanded the signs. Ratio will supply the gutters and downpipes.

 

Next will be a look at the Travelers' Rest.

[KeithHC]

3 hours ago, The Johnster said:

I slogan I remember form the 50s/early 60s, before Rhymney were absorbed by Whitbread, was 'Rhymney; the best 'round 'ere', clearly intended to be vocalised in a Valleys accent.  It was a lie, of course, nothing beat Brains'.

Sorry it will be a Clark’s pie for me.

 

Keith